Adventurous adventures

Hey it's me!

2011-12-23T23:23:00.002+08:00

It's me!

Okinawa Adventures - Day 4 Aka Island Part 3

2011-12-23T23:08:00.000+08:00

Here are more photo's..

An entire ecosystem by itself

Just amazing

A nudibranch bedazzled by the heart

A different view of the beach

I will definitely return to Okinawa Aka Island, it is just a matter of when! Hopefully next time I will be able to dive for over 4 minutes each time and appreciate it more.

Chad

Okinawa Adventures - Day 4 Aka Island Part 2

2011-12-23T23:02:00.000+08:00

Ok, finally I am continuing with part 2 of the trip to Aka Island. It has been quite a since since previous post so I have forgotten the details of the dive. I have some pictures that I wanted to share to show you just how beautiful it was.

View from the beach

It's just another world..

Can I stay here forever?

Don't know the name of this coral.. almost like a shrub

They looked so playful but I suppose they were protecting their home

I have some more pictures that I will be uploading soon of Aka Island.

Chad

The Tank Bangers - Our Blue..

2011-12-15T23:24:00.001+08:00

My partner passed this link to me which I thought was entertaining and quite original. The pristine blue waters in this clip was just amazing to watch. The clip does go on for a bit but for all enthusiasts, it would be enjoyable.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Don't forget to turn on the volume!

Okinawa Adventures - Day 4 Aka Island Part 1

2011-05-15T13:27:00.001+08:00

Day 4 was another snorkeling adventure filled day with us starting the day at 7am. The local ferry (boat rather) departs from the main Zamami Island to Aka Island at approximately 8:30am which lasts for only about 15 minutes. We arrived quite early ensuring we didn't miss the boat. The only other passengers were a caucasion and a local man who looked like a fisherman. We realised that once we arrived at Aka Island, the caucasion man was picked up by a school bus and we thought he was an English teacher at the local school. What a place to teach!!

Anyhow, the morning started beautifully and the weather also looked like it was going to hold up. Below is a picture of the boat ride to Aka Island..

The stern

The sun's amazing effort of shining through

Already on the boat, we could visibly see the ocean bed as we approached the wharf. The ocean was sa blue as blue and it was like an extended swimming pool surrounding the island. We knew we had to get a better view of the place so we decided to climb the bridge right next to the port that links two islands together. We also had some time before the local information kiosk opened to leave our luggage so this was the perfect opportunity. We climbed up the bridge and this was the jaw-opening view we encountered..

Battle up the bridge

Swimming pool!

A more scenic view

Apparently it was a common event to see turtles and rays swim through this channel. Obviously the water is so clear you can see anything swim through it. Don't think an ant can get past without being noticed!

After spending some time absorbing this landscape, it was time to check in our luggage and find the local store that offers bicycle rental. It didn't take long for us to find it since the town was so small and away we went to the first stop, Nishihama Beach. The ride only lasted about 10 minutes with some small uphill battles but since the roads were all concrete paved.. it wasn't a challenge at all. We parked our bikes by the side of the path and walked down a path where we could smell the ocean.. and BEHOLD.. Nishihama Beach!

Aka Island Nishihama Beach

Although I felt the beach was not as beautiful as Furuzamami Beach, I wish a had a better picture to do this place justice. I think I was so infatuated with the idea of snorkeling, I basically ignored everything else. But not all was lost as you will see later of the beautiful underwater community this place holds. The beach was layered with coral which made it somewhat difficult to walk on but the clinking sound as you walked on them sang beautifully.

Music to the ears

We snorkeled 3 times at Nishihama Beach that day and the dives got better each time. I think we just had to explore a little before we could settle and appreciate the aquatic life. Anyhow, these are some of the pics of the first dive to show the Nishihama Beach beach formation and characteristics.

Underwater coral island


Another table coral.. this one was big enough to sit more than 10

Clown Triggerfish

During our dives, we met many boats of scuba divers enjoying the views as we did and we bumped into one lone scuba diver (I thought divers shouldn't dive alone??).

Shall I jump?

The lone diver

One of my favourite pics

The picture directly above is probably one of my all time favourite pictures so far of the underwater world. I know it does not include any wildlife, coral, or anything remotely representing the underwater life, but the serenity and peace of this view is under the false pretence of the ocean's majestic power that engulfs the diver. I found this to be a poweful image..

Anyhow, we also took a picture of us with the scuba boat to demonstrate how far out we went from the beach to meet with these divers.

Thumbs up

Well, like I said, the first dive was just exploring the area although the beach is far too large to explore entirely. I didn't take many good underwater photo's this time but the second and third was much better. We needed to get some grub into our stomach so we decided to leave for lunch and maybe explore other beaches before coming back here.

Our lunch.. the Okinawa Soba (again). Man I love it!

Part 2 will be posted shortly!

Chad

The other perspective

2011-05-08T23:22:00.000+08:00

Raving about my love of the underwater adventures to one of my colleagues, he asked me if I preferred snorkeling or scuba diving. This was rather an embarassing question as I have only really snorkelled and never scuba dived. I was someone who was confessing my love of the water and yet I have not tried to enjoy it in another perspective! I think one of the reasons why I never pursued the scuba license is because of the 'fuss' you undergo when scuba diving unlike snorkeling where it's just slip on the fins, mask, and snorkel and away you go.

To truly appreciate what I love, I am now determined to get my open water diver's license through PADI this year either in Hong Kong or somewhere like Okinawa (hopefully). This way, I can enjoy the underwater world from another perspective. Who knows, I might not like scuba at all and remain an avid snorkeler. I suppose I will never know until I try it out..

I am now trying to find a local scuba school.. and also looking at investing in underwater photography equipment. I really need to start saving..

If anyone reading this have any suggestions on where I can locate a good scuba diving school, please let me know!

Chad

Okinawa Adventures - Day 3 Agenashiki Island

2011-05-04T23:21:00.005+08:00

We headed back towards the pier so that we could make our way to the smaller islands. The accommodation lady knew who to contact to take us to Agenshiki Island, which was only a few minutes away which meant we wouldn't need to spend so much time traveling since it was going to get dark in a few hours. The map of the island is below:

View Larger Map

We jumped on a boat from the wharf and literally lasted only minutes. It costed us JPY1,500 per person return which we thought was a little hefty for such a short boat ride, but considering it is our first trip there, it was well worth it. Here is a picture of the captain of the boat..

Ahoy matey

Here is a pic of what we saw as we approached Agenashiki Island. Apparently we were the only ones on the island along with a few wild goats. I wonder how they got there? Anyhow, this reminded me of the movie 'The Blue Lagoon'. This island was ours for 2 hrs until we were to be picked up at 5pm.

Island Paradise

The first thing we noticed was that there was plenty of shale scattered all over the place. I assume island was formed from volcanic activity millions of years ago. The entrance to the beach was alot rockier than the other beaches but the water was just as clear. Here are some of the coral formations we encountered..


Agenashiki Island Coral

Colony of blue green damselfish

I'm beginning to think I need to start learning the names of the main or the most common tropical fish so that I can identify it in my blog! Give me a fish that can be caught on a fishing line and I can name it in a blink of an eye, but for the tropical fish, I'm left clueless. Homework for me.

Table Coral

We also met a few table corals large enough to seat 6. Along the reef there were a few of those scientific research layered boxes which I believe was left to keep a track of marine life at this reef. Even though we saw some coral stunners, the majority of the reef had dead bleached coral which was depressing to see. The locals blamed it on El Nino where the change in balance of temperature have led to this.. truly sad..

A strange coral formation was the one below. I don't believe it was naturally formed as the underlying foundation seems man made. Maybe I am wrong but I still found this interested as it resembled a multi-layered flower.

3 layered cake

Agenashiki Island was home to many species of sea cucumbers. I took so many pictures of these that my partner struck me for each one I took. There weren't the common black sea cucumbers and the colours/textures were mesmirising.

Hyper coloured sea cucumber

Star struck

An unexpected encounter was with the black headed sea snake that was common in these areas. Like the turtle, I did not expect to see these up close but to tell you the truth, I wasn't too sure if I wanted to be too close as they are infamous for being extremely venemous. However, they just did their own thing strolling around and we went on with our business. We waved our farewell and departed in opposite directions..

Blacked headed sea snake

We did manage to bump into a few more of these sea snakes and felt more at ease with each one.

Anyhow, before we knew it, our 2 hours were up and we needed to get out of the water. Here is a picture of my partner just relaxing from an exhausting snorkel. I think she was looking for some prawns/shrimp?

Where's the shrimp?

We were picked up at 5pm as promised and headed back to the main island. Once we returned, we washed up (as well as our gear) and made our way opposite the accommodation to fill our starving stomachs.

Maybe it was because of all the fish we saw but we felt like eating fish. Luckily for us, they had some seasoned grilled fish that was locally caught in the morning! Accompanying the fish was the fried karage chicken, sour seaweed dish of some sort, and the Okinawa soba which I missed taking a picture of. I must've been too hungry. This was all topped off with the local Okinawa Orion beer ;)

Chicken Karage to die for.. went beautifully with the local beer

Freshly caught seasoned grilled fish

Mozuku

What a great end to a perfect day! Day 3 was a long day but one to remember. We encountered so many things that we did not expect and these will be forever cherished. I will go back to these places again but it is just a matter of when.

My next post will be about Day 4 with our trip to Aka Island which is about 15-20 minute boat ride from the main Island. Stayed posted for more pictures and our underwater adventures!

Chad

Okinawa Adventures - Day 3 Furu Zamami Beach @ Zamami Island

2011-05-01T21:07:00.007+08:00

After our escapade with the sea turtles and devouring the hearty lunch in town, we decided it was time to visit the main beach, Furu Zamami Beach that we've heard so much about.The owner of our accommodation again offered to drive us to Furu Zamami Beach which only took 10 minutes. We have to remember that the locals only drive at 20km/h so really, it's much closer than described.

View Larger Map

Thinking that we couldn't possibly be surprised by the beauty of Furu Zamami Beach due to our earlier visit to Ama Beach, our breaths were once again stolen away. The sand was almost pure white and I believe this is because of the white coral that has dissolved on the beach leaving white powdery residue which combined with the sand.

Our first breathtaking view of Furu Beach

This was our first view of Furu Zamami Beach from the wooden resting ledge/verandah and as we walked down the stairs closer to the water, we were filled with excitement. Walking on the dead coral on the beach, you can hear the sweet tinkling sounds of coral hitting against each other creating musical harmony. It reminded me of wind chimes..


View from the rocky ledge on the south side of Furu Zamami Beach

Another beach shot

The coral formations began almost immediately from the beach so you didn't need to swim far to get a glimpse of the abundant aquatic life. Below are some of the coral spectacles we encountered..

Standing out of from the crowd

The beach was also renowned for large colonies of clown fish that inhabit the coral reef and below was one of the larger species that approached me without fear. I wasn't sure if this was an aggressive standoff to intimidate me or if it thought my camera (Canon D10) was food because of the blue shade that could be mistaken for the scales of fish. Funny thing was, it was only this species that behaved this way. I must've stepped into their territory and it was telling me to back off.. well it worked!

Twoband anemonefish: What are you looking at!

Blue and brown striped slug

I saw this blue and brown striped slug on the sea bed.. actually there were hundred scattered all over the place. It was quite difficult to see from the surface and I only noticed it when I dove down to visit the sandy bottom. Another creature that caught my attention was this unique type of sea cucumber. It was fat as hell! I also recall it to be over 30cm. I was so tempted to hold it but of course I had to hold back.

Sea cucumber

While I was on the ocean floor, I was hypnotised by the beauty of the deeper blue. The clarity of the water and the soft white sand must've done the trick as you can see below. This was a scene I only saw on TV and I took every opportunity I could to enjoy this view..

To infinity and beyond

Saw a huge sea cucumber

Simply had to take a pic with it

Some of you may know that I want to get into freediving and this was the perfect opportunity for me to test my knowledge of what I learnt from reading the 'Manual of Freediving'. Certainly have improved in technique and my awareness of my surroundings. Anyhow, back to my trip.

We stayed at Furu Zamami Beach for a couple of hours but decided that we could explore some of the smaller islands that were close by since it was only about 3pm. It was going to get dark at 6pm so we had another 3 hours before we hit the sack. This post will have to be saved for another day since there are so many photos to choose from.

Overall, I found Furu Zamami Beach to be my favourite beach from all the sites I have visited. I don't know if it is because of the white sand or the clarity of the water but from what you have seen from the photo's above, the deeper blue was just so mesmerising that it keeps drawing me in. I will definitely visit again!

Chad

Okinawa Adventures - Day 3 Sea Turtles at Ama Beach

2011-04-28T23:26:00.011+08:00

Day 3 started early with us waking up by 7am to catch the Zamami Queen III to the Zamami Islands from the main port of Naha. Our previous boat experience from Port Douglas to the Great Barrier Reef had us concerned with sea sickness but it was a fairly smooth ride and was helped with some pills. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of the cruiser but it was very comfortable.

We arrived at the Zamami Island wharf prepared to take on the world. What we didn't expect was to be met immediately by crystal blue waters that it brought tears to our eyes.

Can you imagine our faces when we saw this?

We were so eager to get going but first had to find our accommodation for the night. The weather was also perfect considering the fact that it rained all day the day before. This town had a population of 600 people so it wasn't too hard to find it. It was directly opposite a dive store and a half convenience store half souvenir store. It wasn't anything fancy but we couldn't expect more. The owner of our accommodation was nice enough to drive us around and gave us some local knowledge of the best places to snorkel. Our first stop was a Ama Beach renowned for it's local inhabitants, the sea turtle. Luckily for us, it was high tide which meant they would be feeding. The accommodation owner left us on our own to explore by ourselves and offered to take us to another beach when we were ready. So nice of her! This beach also only had 4 people (including us) so it was our own little private beach.

From the shore

Crystal Clear Waters..

I've added a map below if you ever have the chance to visit Ama Beach..

View Larger Map

By this stage, we were itching to get in. The shock of the water left me breathless but the neroprene wetsuit top warmed the water up quickly and kept me nice and cosy. Now it was time to find those turtles.... the first one popped up within a few minutes and it was quite small and it was intimidated by us. It didn't really swim away like it's life depended on it but it just went the other direction. You can see my partner tailgating the little one..

Get back here!

With the water being crystal clear, there was really nothing else to see except for some fish here and there. It was evident that coral existed here but have been eroded away due to unknown reasons. And then out of nowhere, out came this monster.. I believe it was a bit over a metre in length..

Cowabunga dude

My left side is better

Should I or shouldn't I?

Don't leave me!

Going our separate ways..

This turtle was certainly not intimidated by us and why should it when it's not even scared of sharks or whales. It had a sense of calm and it was just swimming along patiently and letting us enjoy the experience. What a nice turtle!

I must admit I did not have any expectations of meeting wild turtles and this was truly a significant milestone of my snorkeling life/experience. What else could I possibly want?! We'll see :)

After this session, we took a leisurely stroll back to town which took about 20 minutes. I was still in awe over the "swimming with sea turtles" experience that I took a breather on the middle of the road. I swear there were no cars to be seen or heard.

No cars to be seen.. ZzzZzzzZZzZ...

We even found wild lilies growing on the side of the road.

What's the market price??

Hungry as hell, we decided to head to a local restaurant to get some grub before heading to our next snorkeling destination. I had the tuna carpacio on rice which apparently was caught locally. It was so fresh and tasty! Basically all the ingredients were grown locally and it just felt so so healthy and fresh. I absolutely devoured this meal.

A meal fit for a king

We were ready for round 2 after lunch but that post would have to be another time! I hope to post it soon!

Chad

Dry apnea

2011-04-27T23:57:00.001+08:00

I was fooling around with iPhone applications and came across iApnea. I gave it a go and reached 4:12 even without any practice/training.

I'm looking forward to reaching 5 minutes!

Okinawa Adventures - Day 1 & 2

2011-04-27T23:38:00.001+08:00

Been too long since my last underwater post but it seems to have exited from the dry spell with a bang to Okinawa. As you may have read/heard, Okinawa has a highly diverse aquatic ecosystem that can compete with the most beautiful dive sites in the world. Of course it is probably not as sparse as the Great Barrier Reef but it certainly meets its match.

We arrived quite late on the first day so we did not see any underwater action. The weather was also not so accommodating and it looked as though the next few days were not promising either. Our fingers were kept cross!

Our first destination was to Churaumi Aquarium up north but since we arrived late, it would be our first tourist destination the next day. On the way up north, we took the scenic route and stopped by Sesoko Island which is renowned for it's sunset. It is also a popular destination for beginner snorkelers or children at a beach located west of the island. We arrived just in time for sunset as you can see from the pictures below.

Postcard picture

Simply breath taking

What makes this site so calm is the coral/rocks that protects the shore. However, it was evident that this beach experienced coral bleaching due to the change in climate over the years. Even though we did not test the waters (except for our feet) the overall experience of this beach was exhilirating. The picture of the water below just emphasises the cleanliness and the clarity of the water we encountered.

Only knee deep but you can only imagine how clean it was

My partner daring to be brave

You can also see the rock formations to what I believe were coral that shifted above ground due to earth crust displacement. Several small caves were discovered except they were pitch black and only for those brave enough like my partner (above). I don't think these small caves led to anywhere but I am sure it would be entertaining for anyone who dares to enter..

Day 2 unfortunately was a wet day which ruined our plans to have an afternoon snorkel at the famous Maeda Blue Cave. But this was not going to ruin our day! We arrived at the aquarium at 9am and scoured through the wonderous maze of aquatic tanks. We were met with awe when we finally reached the tank that supported 4 whale sharks.

The largest whale shark inhabiting this tank

These whale sharks were accompanied by manta rays, tuna (blue fin and yellow fin), giant trevally, and numerous other types of fish. Below is a closer view of the whale shark feeding on krill.

Big feeders! They even get vitamin tablets!

View of the tank from the top

Apart from these sensational creatures, an external section of the aquarium had a few manatees as well as sea turtles. The sea turtles had their own little private beach (artificial) and it was detrimental for breeding purposes. They had about 15-20 odd turtles in the tank/pool and I was able to get a pretty good shot of one of them below:

Say cheese!

Manatee

The manatee feels like a seal mixed together with an elephant and whacked with a platypus tail. Was quite strange to see a tail/fin like that. I was expecting to see bi-fins like the dugong. These majestic creatures were entertaining to watch but I couldn't help but feel sorry for them as they were stuck in this boring and lifeless pool. I am sure the conservationists know what they are doing:)

The next 2 days were spent on Zamami Island and Aka Island. I will have to wait another day to write a post as there is just so much to write about!

Keep you posted!

Till then...

Chad

The right direction?

2010-09-26T21:10:00.004+08:00

As you already know, I have been meaning to find a freediving club in Hong Kong to commence my freediving adventures. Been researching and reading up on freediving tips from several blogs and websites and all of them have suggested reading the 'Manual of Freediving' by Umberto Pelizzar and Stefano Tovaglieri as it basically encompasses what every freediver should know. I know that I should maybe stop reading books and websites and actually put my desires to action thus the topic question, is this really the right way to go about what I want to do? Well realistically, my committments have me tied up so at this stage, I can only live vicariously through others to learn more about freediving.

Anyway, the cover of the book is below and I will have to wait for a few weeks for this book to arrive from the states. I could buy it locally at an inflated price and also with a week or two waiting period but since I thought I was not in any rush, I chose the economic option.

Once I have read it, I will give my review and get started with my freediving lessons!

Chad

World record by New Zealander

2010-09-26T20:47:00.000+08:00

An impressive feat by a New Zealander, Dave Mullins achieving 265m in the dynamic with fins category. Previous record was held by by Frenchmen Fred Sessa with 255m at the 7th AIDA Team World Championship held at Okinawa Japan. A clip of the world record session is below for your viewing.

Enjoy!

Chad

Extreme Freediving

2010-08-29T21:52:00.004+08:00

Been a while since the last post. I presumed that by now, I would have at least snorkeled this part of the world (HK). How wrong could I have been. There are so many surrounding islands to visit and are screaming to be explored by me. Well, I suppose its about getting off my arse and reinvesting in snorkel gear. However, I do have dilemma's on what to purchase as I want to start scuba diving. So should I make the smart choice by investing in gear that can be used for both? The fins that I have looked at so far are the Mares Quattro Avante which has been around for yonks but I believe they have been the preferred choice for many scuba/snorkeling fanatics. I'll see where the road takes me.

Lately I have been watching and reading up on freediving and it has also grabbed my interest. Here is an amazing video of Guillaume Nery (freediver) completing an awesome single breath dive at Dean's Blue Hole.

I didn't think people could actually hold their breath for that long but it is all mind over matter. After reading some breathing techniques, training, etc for freediving, I managed to reach 3 minutes 43 seconds (dry apnea) for the first few attempts so this is my PB. My aim is to reach 5 minutes or more and hopefully be useful for my snorkeling dives. Been visiting the swimming pool at Kowloon park and have been practising a little too but there are just too many people!

I also looked into freediving courses/clubs in Hong Kong but have failed to find any. Might to have to look harder! Anyway, hope you enjoy the clip as much as I did and maybe given you more motivation to keep up these wonderful water sports!

Till then..

Chad

Discovering tranquility in Hong Kong

2010-06-18T22:33:00.004+08:00

When we visualise Hong Kong, most of us would say "large city, tall buildings, fast paced, mix between new and the old, pollution" and so on. Others who are more familar with Hong Kong know that there are hidden treasures surrounding this part of Asia.

Today, I believe I have met the tranquil side of Hong Kong. Our journey today took us to Stanley Bay (HK Island) where any form of transport must bustle through the luscious green hills to get to the other side. We headed to Stanley Beach which was much smaller than expected, however, it was free from all the pollution and and most of all, some of the scenery/landscape reminded me of Sydney. If you continued down Stanley Beach away from the main area, you head to a lonely little beach called Hairpin Beach.

Hairpin Beach is a private pebbly beach away from the crowds. Apparently the lifesavers stopped patrolling this beach since 2005 and left it alone. I am not too sure if the absence of lifesavers repel the locals from visiting this beach or maybe it is due to the pebbly beach, but as you can see the pictures below, it is most certainly serene.

I do not know what aquatic life I expect to see here and to tell you the truth, I do not think there is much to see here, but the water was warm and it would just be bliss to go for a nice swim. Unfortunately I don't have my snorkeling gear here in Hong Kong. Either I invest in a new set or have my gear posted from Sydney. I will have to have a think about it.

View from the Hairpin Beach

Clear, pristine waters..

Reminds me of Sydney except Sydney has beautiful sandy beaches

There is limited snorkeling/diving information in Hong Kong and it seems like you learn the ropes when you join an association or group of some sort. One website/blog I have found which provided good diving/snorkeling/nature information of Hong Kong is called Hong Kong Outdoors (http://www.hkoutdoors.com/).

After looking at this website, one specific site I want to visit is Sharp Island. Apparently this site is favoured by scuba divers and snorkelers due to its pristine/clear waters and its aquatic life. Below is a picture borrowed from the Hong Kong Outdoors website.

Sharp Island (Source: http://www.hkoutdoors.com/)

Now that I think about it, I need to get my gear here ASAP! Hopefully my next post would be an actual snorkeling post and not about my snorkeling desires. In the meantime, I think I will have to continue searching for new areas to control my itchy feet.

Till then.

Chad

Learn to dive for free in Sydney

2010-06-17T02:06:00.002+08:00

Once again, a little birdie has whispered into my ear and advised me of the wonderful contribution a group of marine biologists are doing in Sydney. They have created a website to educate the public about the conservation of the marine ecosytem by offering education, training in marine conservation and biology. To add the cherry on top, these dedicated marine biologists also offer free training on the Open Water Diver course (certification) which allows one to dive anywhere around the world.

From what I can see, they are a non-profit group and are purely interested in the preservation and conservation of the aquatic life in Sydney.

For those that are interested, their website is:

http://sydneyunderworld.com/index.php

You can find information about their free Open Water Diving Certification at:

http://sydneyunderworld.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=72

I would like to add that I am in no way affiliated with this group and have posted this information purely because of my admiration of this group.

I will definitely sign up for this class when I return to Sydney :P

Bye for now..

Chad

Beauty at Menjangan - Part II

2010-06-17T01:35:00.004+08:00

I couldn't resist to put more pictures of my unforgettable snorkeling experience at Menjangan Island. This time, I can describe my experiences by showing you a map of Menjangan Island.

Our first dive was at Pos 2 which was the from the beach. This was where our boat was moored and also had our authentic Indonesian/Balinese lunch. Our second dive was from Cave Point where I felt was a better dive spot than the first. Due to the strong tides and the unpredictability of the weather (cloudy with forecast of storm), our guide played it safe and chose these safer and covered options.

I was informed that the Anchor Wreck is also an enjoyable snorkel (I cannot imagine how much better!) but we would have to save it for next time.

Source: http://www.waterworxbali.com/bali-tauchen-pulau-menjangan.shtml

Below are pictures of myself, my partner, and our tour guide. I couldn't resist putting more pics of our snorkeling session and have posted a few more for your viewing.

Me: Need a weight belt!

My partner in crime :)

Snorkel guide: underwater photography fanatic

Untouched..

Wedged in between coral

The picture below was taken by my partner. Boy does she have a keen attention to detail to find a heart-shaped coral amongst an entire civilisation of life. The flash has increased the colour intensity (brightness) of the coral to give it its contrast amongst others.

Could be a nice spot to put a ring?

Amazing colours

Amazing aquatic life

Lot's of yellow

Since I enjoy underwater photography and keeping records of my snorkeling experiences, I am beginning to think if I should invest in a better camera with the proper underwater housing. I acknowledge it is an expensive investment but is it worth it? I will need to ponder on this..

Until then..

Chad

Beauty at Menjangan Island - Bali

2010-06-13T19:09:00.012+08:00

Just last week, I was lucky enough to visit Bali from Singapore for a few days. During our 4 day stay, I managed to sneak in a day of snorkeling at Menjangan Island. From what I have researched, this place was less frequently visited by tourists due to its distance. I believe I made the right choice! Unfortunately I could not visit the other popular areas such as Nusa Dua, Lembongan, and the Blue Lagoon due to our busy schedule but I must articulate the beauty experienced at Menjangan Island.

The tour (for 2) commenced at 6:00am and it took about 3hrs to get to the ferry to Menjangan Island. It took another 30 minutes to get to Menjangan Island. Below are few pictures of the boat ride to the Island.

The boats we took

A Silhouette of Java Islands

The local crews were amazingly friendly and was an experience to remember. A picture of them below:

Just before arrival, we were briefed that we will be visiting two sections of the island. One from the beach and another from the boat. We were also told that the reefs were 3 metres from the beach and to my astonishment, it was true. The reef began almost immediately. The water was warm. Warmer than the Great Barrier Reef. I only had my skins on and did not feel cold whatsoever. The total experience was just amazing.

About 20 metres from the shore there is a massive dropoff which was quite frightening. This was my first encounter with such a dropoff and I was told that there are amazing aquatic life down there which could only be experienced through scuba diving. Maybe next time?

Due to my lack of knowledge of coral names and tropical fish, I am unable to identify (name) most of the fish in the pictures below. I took almost 500 pictures but below are few of my favourites.

The group of fish (below) did not have any qualms approaching us snorkelers and seemed quite curious of what's going on. Maybe they thought it was feeding time?

Feeding time?

Beautiful coral and the community it supports

A view I only have imagined seeing.. or through documentaries :)

Our tour guide, who is an avid snorkeler and underwater photographer knew where some of the more popular species inhabited. One species in particular was the famous Nemo (clown fish) which was about 4-5 metres deep. I was able to reach the clown fish (2) but was unable to get a good picture as I kept floating up. This made me realise that I need weights! Maybe next time I will be more prepared. Anyway, you can see this image better if you click on it.

Do people have 'clown' fish phobia's?

Another coral(?) that caught my eye was the one below. It had a beautiful blue tinge and was quite sparse in this area.

Blueatiful Blue..

Some more coral..

This was the dropoff I described earlier. You can imagine the depth through the deep blue.

Edge of the reef

Scattered millions of blue green damselfish

Close up of the scatter millions..

Yellow Mellow

Common reef species: Blackback butterfly fish

Nemo's mentor: Moorish idol

spotted marble

I know my blog was supposed to be my snorkeling experiences in Sydney but I think having a variety spices up your life :)

Snorkeling at Menjangan, Bali was my first snorkeling experience outside of Australia. Having been to the GBR, Menjangan Island provides a different experience due to its charismatic boats, local Balinese people, and its isolation. I hope to visit this site again and hopefully it will not lose its charm.

I wonder when my next snorkeling trip will be?

signing off..

Chad

Underwater Sydney

2010-04-11T12:24:00.000+08:00

Just recently, I was advised by a friend that a new professional website has been established to offer useful information on Sydney's marine life as well as providing beautiful photo's of their adventures. The website is called "Underwater Sydney" and for those that are interested, their website is http://underwatersydney.com.au/. This site also has RSS feeds and an email subscription option for those who prefer information sent to them.

I personally thought this was an exciting addition to the limited resources of the underwater world of Sydney. Although the main reason for this website is to educate sydneysiders of the great intrinsic value of our local harbour, it most certainly offers much more for the scuba divers and the snorkelers. With limited useful guides/information apart from Chai's website, Sydney Nature, and a few more, I just hope that this website exceeds my expectations and continues to be a valuable source of information.

The underwater imagery and photos on this website are spectacular.. my god they out of this world! It's so humbling that my attempts to capture the underwater world (or lack thereof) feels inferior. BUT.. it is all a learning experience and of course I love doing it. I certainly look forward to the photo's to come.

As you may noticed, I have not updated my blog for some time. The water in Sydney is getting cooler and it is hibernation time for most scuba divers and snorkellers. Another season is over and for those that are lucky to be located in the warmer areas.. happy snorkeling! I hope to travel around South East Asia soon and maybe I will get the chance to catch up on some snorkeling.

Until then..

Chad

Random pictures

2010-02-20T19:02:00.003+08:00

It has been some time since my last my post and this is mainly due to my lack of underwater snorkeling adventures. The weather has been less than mediocre and when there's hope of improvement, it's only clear on weekdays and turns for the worst over the weekend. I know that tomorrow will be a beautiful day for a snorkel in Sydney with the weather to hit 34C, but I have prior committments which prohibits me from going anywhere. Maybe next time..

Instead I will post some pictures from past trips and reminisce about the good ol' times :P Most of the pics are of the friendly blue groper at Clovelly. Enjoy!

Bluey

Blue Groper generous enough to share its sea urchin

*Pat* *Pat*

It's getting close to the end of summer with not much time left for a good snorkel. Better get out there soon!

Signing off

Chad

Wobbegong Attacks

2010-02-12T10:28:00.003+08:00

Strange things do happen. What is known to be a docile species, the culpurit of a 'shark' attack that occured at Basin Bay (Mona Vale) on Feb 11th 2010 turned out to be a wobbegong.
This was (and still is) a species I hope to encounter on my trip to Shelley Beach. I don't feel any deterred knowing this news and I look forward to seeing one. Fingers crossed!

Read more at: http://www.smh.com.au/national/normally-docile-wobbegong-shark-bites-sydney-swimmer-20100211-nszo.html

Signing off

Chad

Australia Day at Fairlight Jan 26th 2010

2010-02-08T20:50:00.011+08:00

On Australia day, we decided to head to Shelley Beach at Manly for a snorkel. I've read so many positive comments on Shelley Beach that I thought I was missing out on one of Sydney's best snorkeling sites. That is when I decided to visit the place that everyone raves about. Unfortunately, it was a beautiful day (had rained during the weekend) and everyone else had the same marvellous idea to head to the beach. It was hectic! I believe we arrived around 1pm which I would suggest is smack bang in the middle of peak traffic at Shelley Beach.

We drove around through the car park (few times), waited around, drove through the small streets, and after 20 minutes of targeting pedestrians thinking that they were returning to their vehicle, we eventually gave up. I decided instead to head to the less known destination of Little Manly Point as I have fished there hundreds of times and believed it would also be a fanstastic site to snorkel. Again, we were met with endless lines of cars and swarming human traffic. Almost giving up, I remembered Fairlight!

Now, parking was expectedly easy to find although we had to battle the heat for approximately 10 minutes. Better than nothing. Choosers cannot be beggars. This precious beach was also swarming with people having bbq's, picnics, etc. We also noticed a fair few people by the rock edge with snorkeling gear. We prepared in lightning speed and dived right in.

I recall the fluffy sand and the concrete floors were as hot as lit-up coal however, the water temperature was to die for! Fantastic! Below are some of the memorable pictures taken at Fairlight.

Red Morwong swimming through the crevice

I decided that Fairlight is/was the safest snorkeling destination so far from my snorkeling adventures. When I express safe, I suppose it defines how secure I felt. Even though we were 100m from the shore, it was not particularly deep (3-4 metres) with rock formations scattered where we could just rest on it. The abundance of marine life was amazing here. So many different species of fish and the sheer numbers gave me double vision. I could not keep up taking all the pics I wanted and I eventually got tired of taking pics and enjoyed the snorkel instead.

Crested Morwong giving me the silent treatment

The crested morwong seems like a regular here at Fairlight as I have seen dozens of pics in many forums/websites.

School of Luderick

I could confidently state that luderick was the largest population here at Fairlight. Attack of the ludericks! Would have loved to catch them on floats :)

A groper joining the fun with ludericks

Amongst the luderick were also a few brown gropers. Their bodies show patches of blue where I think they are undergoing their sex-change transition.

Leatherjacket attempting to hide.. poor attempt

Thought the leatherjacket above was pretty cute. Maybe because of its swollen belly and it attempted to take cover but failed miserably.

Stripeys (Thanks to Chai, I now know the name)

Fairlight has countless rock ledges with millions (ok I exaggerate) of marine life seeking shelter underneath them. We saw a school of the yellow and black fish above. I got to find out their names!

Biggest octopus I have seen

Underneath another rock was the largest octopus I have ever seen. I managed to catch a glimpse of its tentacles and realised that an octopus was hiding underneath the ledge.This picture does not do the octopus any justice but boy was it enormous!

Brown/Blue Groper

I thought I'd add the picture above as it reminded me of an aquarium.

Another school of luderick

As I said earlier, ludericks are plentiful here at Flourishing Fairlight.

School of squid

At this stage, we stayed in the water for about an hour and a half. Time flew right past us without us knowing it. Heading towards the shore, we found a patch of white sand that was occupied by a school of squid. Got hungry just by looking at them :) One was obviously the boss and them led them away from my hungry staring eyes.

Although we failed to snorkel our intended destination, Fairlight was my best snorkel as yet. Would return within a heartbeat. The marine life was astonishing according to my beginner's point of view and I felt the most secure. Now that I had some time to reflect about Fairlight, the first word/phrase that comes to mind is 'Flourishing' Fairlight. This is because of the flourishing marine and plant life here at Fairlight. It might also be because of the alliteration 'Flourishing Fairlight' :)

The weather forecast does not seem positive for the whole month of Feb so my next trip is dependent on how the weather holds up. As I said on my previous post, Bushrangers Bay is definitely on my list and hopefully I will visit it soon!

Signing off

Chad

The Camp Cove Experience 21st Jan 2010

2010-02-02T22:47:00.006+08:00

January 21st, 2010 was the day I underwent the Camp Cove experience. I have been here several times in the past but it was either for fishing (12 years ago) or conducting a tour guide for my family and friends to boast our magnificent harbour. Parking this day was appalling as the weather was beautiful and it was still the school holidays. I have read from Chai's blog that the east side was occupied by large masses of cuttlefish so I decided to drop my gear on that side of the beach.

View of the city from the water (taken from the east side of Camp Cove)

The water was beautifully calm that day as you can see from the above picture. Underwater visibility was also very good. I think I have yet to learn about the definitions describing the clarity of the water and the methods to measure visibility distance underwater. Would this also be relative depending on the person's perception of clear water? For example, someone who is accustomed to the waters off the GBR may have a 180 degree definition of water clarity to someone like me?

Anyhow, sea urchins were abundant in this area but I did not see much fish life. One of the highlights of this trip were the cuttlefish. See pics below:

Who's on top?

How many cuttlefish (hint:2)? Peek-a-boo, I see you!

This was my first encounter with so many cuttlefish and they were not timid and let me get extremely close. I believe I saw four at the one time but there could have been more. Oh, I forgot to mention that a few diving schools were also present here at that day. I believe they were exploring the reef just off Camp Cove.

Little blue fish x 2 (name?)

I also saw a school of garfish which was almost indistinguishable from the top as they just looked like extra long pencils. They were hovering over the sea grass just by the cuttlefish. The other fish that I found intriguing are the ones in the picture above. I do not know what species they are but it felt like they did not belong in Camp Cove as they looked like tropical fish. Call me dumb if these types of species are common within the Sydney region but they just looked too pretty :) That day I experienced my first small case of hyperthermia (I think) as I stayed in the water for quite a while and my pinkies were numb even an hour after the dive. My lips were also blue. I suppose you always have to drag me out of the water.

We ended our trip at Watsons Bay with the famous Doyles fish and chips. I hope you do not get hungry looking at the pictures below as it certainly is making me hungry.

Fish 'n' Chips from Doyles

Calamari and Chips from Doyles

If you ever get the chance to snorkel around Camp Cove, I suggest you finish off the day with one of the best fish 'n' chips store in Sydney. We also had a gorgeous view of Watsons Bay from the seats/tables offered by Doyles's fish 'n' chips to its customers.

View of Watsons Bay from Doyles fish 'n' chips

If you fancy a more formal occasion for dinner, I suggest the Doyles restaurant at Watsons Bay. It is the white building at the back.

Picture of Watsons Bay from the beach

I enjoyed my trip to Camp Cove even though the crowds were horrendous. Maybe that was what contributed to my liking of the place. I will definitely come back and explore the western side of the beach next time as I missed it this time. One of the best reasons to come back is also for the food! Come and enjoy!

Signing off

Chad

Return to Chowder Bay Jan 9th 2010

2010-01-31T21:12:00.001+08:00

On Saturay January 9th, I returned to Chowder Bay for a quick snorkel with my work mate. Almost arriving at the parking lot, there was a sign which indicated that the car park was closed. Little did we know that it was full from all the buses that transported hundreds and hundreds of scouts from all over Australia.

We parked some distance away and climbed down a hill and some stairs to get to the beach. We quickly saw that 20-30 kids were continuously jumping from the jetty which disturbed alot of the sand and most likely scared alot of the fish. So instead of snorkeling in the shark net enclosure, we decided to give the other side a go. Being a Saturday, several boats also moored near the beach which worried me as I have read somewhere that a snorkeler had been hit by a boat who had not seen them. However, the boats looked like they weren't going to leave any time soon.

The water this time was unexpectedly cloudy unlike the first time I had come for a snorkel. I would say that visibility was 2m. I also noticed that there were three scuba divers that were practicing by the beach. I believe it was an instrcutor with two students. I really want to start scuba diving..

The first sign of fish life were some whiting and also the leatherjacket shown below. I believe it was dumbfounded by the anchor and attracted to the shine as it just kept following the chain up and down.

Leatherjacket

I see you! Octopus eyes

Closer towards the jetty steps, I saw a large plank of wood and decided to investigate and see what marine life it could bring me. When I got closer to the wood, I saw something looking at me. This was the first live octopus I have seen while snorkeling and through all the excitement, I only took one photo which was blurry as hell. It was a poor excuse of a pic. Anyhow, we decided to swim closer to the nets as I have read on Sydneynature.com that sea horses are aplenty here at Chowder Bay.

Sidewards seahorse

For some reason, I did not think I was going to see one that day but luckily for us, we managed to find one (above). Again, this was my first encounter with a live seahorse so I did not pay much attention to my camera and just gazed at it in awe. Apart from the staring eyes of the octopus, this was probably the highlight of the day. One thing I did find difficult was that the tide kept pushing me towards the nets. Had to fight against the tide.

Close to the nets was another leatherjacket that I took a picture of. I some times wonder if I could catch these fish with just a net? They seem so relaxed all the time.

Leatherjacket just strolling along

Overall, the second trip to Chowder Bay was great in terms of sighting a live octopus and a sea horse. In terms of overall marine life and water visibility, I would not say it was great but ok. I think Chowder Bay is fantastic for families to have a picnic while including water sports as part of their activities. I know that I will definitely go back but maybe next time, I will bring some food and have a picnic while I am there.

Chad

Clovelly Discovery 24th Dec 2009

2010-01-29T11:22:00.009+08:00

Clovelly was my next snorkeling destination as I have read countless recommendations of this place so I decided to give it a go on Dec 24th (took a day off work).

East side of the Bay (taken from the south side)

I also knew that parking would be horrendous due to its popularity but luckily for me, I managed to find one within moments of arriving. The first word that came to my head at the glimpse of the bay was 'artificial' due to the concrete slabs surrounding the perimeter. However, it made me feel somewhat more secure knowing that this area was purposely constructed for people (families, etc).

West side of the bay (take from the south side)

I noticed that there are about 2-3 entry points (steps) from either side of the bay. Entry to the water can also be done by the rocks on the north side without any problem but just need to be wary of the slippery surface. Although entry would have been wiser from the beach as we did not know what to expect, we decided to enter the water by the steps from the north side.

Upon entering the water, the first thing I noticed was the blue groper that approached us. Maybe it was being at the right place at the right time, but I was trigger happy and took numerous pictures of this 'labrador' of the sea. I have read that this blue groper was nicknamed 'bluey' or 'bluey 2' as the first one was apparently speared. That is probably why I saw multiple signs stating spear fishing is prohibited. Here are some pictures of the blue groper:

Blue Groper (Lab of the Sea)

I was lucky for it to come close enough for me to give it a gentle pat. I could have sworn it smiled at me. What I was confused about was that I thought blue gropers are largely territorial where usually one blue groper would inhabit a certain territory, but I saw multiple blue gropers around the same size swimming along happily with each other. Maybe because they are not the dominant male?

Some other pictures I took at Clovelly are:

Fish (name?) taking an interest in this sea shell

Blackspot Goatfish conducting synchronised swimming

I have yet to learn the names of the fish species so that I can identify them. I can probably name all the fish species that are most commonly caught (fished) in the Sydney region but it is the other species that are uncommon to fisherman that I need to learn. I am positive this will gradually improve with frequent dives.

The overall snorkel at Clovelly was great as it was my first encounter with these blue gropers. To others, Clovelly may be considered a standard dive but I believe through trained eyes, I am sure there is an adbundance of sea life in this area to appreciate. Through my untrained eyes, I am most certain I missed aplenty on this trip. I will undoubtedly return and hope to encounter what I have missed the first time round.

Signing off

Chad